Code table



May l5,` 1923.

C. F. WOOD CODE TABLE Original Filed Feb.

f/7 Se ctLovr E( Code Common www. White Zur! ZUN ZUP zug Fade Word BACAD Sme-11 To@ Charles F'. Wood DAB BAC lao IDI Nvz 999 B PAL 00B PAM 009H ILS @Hozncw Patented May l5, 1923.

CHARLES F. WOOD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CODE TABLE.

Application filed February 2, 1921, Serial No. 441,889.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. Woon, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chi cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Code Tables, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a set of tables and has as an object theprovision of an article of this nature by the use of which a message maybe writ-ten in a. code whereby a series of pronounceable code wordssubstantially all of which shall have ten letters may be formed andwhereby each of said code words may be made up of syllables each havinga definite meaning.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a table comprisinga series of sections each section comprising substantially the samecombinations of letters with means for designating which section is tobe referred to to learn the meaning intended to be conveyedby anysyllable.

A further object i's the provision of a table comprising a series ofsections each comprising substantially the same combinations of lettersand each combination associated with a check number, the check numberassociated with the same combination in different tables being differentwhereby the sum of the check numbers may be transmitted with the messageto assist in detecting errors in transmission when the message isdecoded. l An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in thedrawing which shows a series of fragments of the table and of differentsections thereof.

For purpose of illustration the drawing begins with section E and showsfragments of sections C, U, Y, and I. It will be understood that asection A may be provided arranged on the same principles. l

As shown the table comprises a column 1() for syllables 11 each made upof two consonants separated by a vowel thus providing pronounceablesyllables. Sutliciently eX- tended i fragments of each section of thetable areillustrated to show how syllables may be formed which begin andend with each of the consonants, utilizing each of the vowels as aicentral letter in turn. Thus B A B will be followed by B A C to B A Z at12andBEBat13toBEZat 11each in turn to ZU Z. Section E of the table stopsat Z U Q at 15, and section U at Z Y P since the remaining syllableswere not Renewed April 9, 1923.

needed but section C is continued to Z U Z as at 16. The vowel I is notutilized as a center of one of these syllables for a reason to beexplained.

By dividing the table into sections each provided with a, designatingletter as E at 17, C at 18, U at 19, Y at 2O and I at 21 the possiblemeanings that may be ascribed to the syllables which can be made of twoconsonants separated by al vowel are multiplied by the number ofdesignating letters. To increase the readiness with which the comeb-inations of the syllables into telegraph words of nine or ten letterseach may be pronounced, when these combinations are made as explainedbelow, vowels are used for the designating letters.

For purposes of conveying meanings each of the syllables in each sectionmay be considered as having four letters, since the designating letterwill always be present by inference when any syllable is used. Forinstance B A B at 22 is E B A B, B A C at 23 is E` B A C. As a matter ofpractice however it is only necessary to use the designating letterbefore the first syllable taken from any sect-ion, a designating letterbeing used whenever a change of section is to be indicated. Moreover itmay be understood that whenever in beginning a message no designatingletter is given, the first section is to be read, thus lessening thenumber of letters to be transmitted.

In using the table to write a code message the syllables will be writtendown in `order. with the necessary designating letters, and theresulting string of syllables will be di'- vided into telegraph words ofnine or ten letters each. The designating letter Amay fall at thebeginning, middle or end of one of these words. l/Vhen placed at the endof a telegraph word the designating let-ter will indicate that the firstsyllable ofthe follow ing word is taken from the section indicated.IVith this liberty as to location ofl the designating letter thetelegraph words may be made to contain ten letters in a large proportionof instances, being formed of three syllables and one designatingletter. Conse quent-ly by use of the table a, large amount ofinformation may be sent cheaply and in a readily decoded form.

Since'the telegraph words, as sent by the operator are meaningless tohima mistake in sending may very readily be made and is impossible ofdetection bythe receiving v operator. t is therefore very important tohave the message itself carry not only the evidence of its correcttransmission but some means whereby the correct reading may be guessedin the event of a mistake. Both of these elements are provided by thecolumn 24 of checking figures and the arrangement of the figures thereinin conjunction with a section 25 of the table which provides for thewriting of three place numbers in the formed syllables. The checkingfigures run from l to 100 and repeat, with the exception of some figuresskipped for a reason to be explained. Then the syllables tobe used in amessage are chosen their checking figures are written down in a columnand added. The sum is then looked up in section I and the correspondingsyllable is written as the last syllable in the message, preceded by theletter I as set forth in eX- plaining the use of the designatingletters. Vxhen the message is decoded the checking figures correspondingto the syllables received are added and should agree with the number insection l indicated by the last syllable of the message.

The element of furnishing an inkling of the correct message in the eventof a mistake being made is furnished by the order lof recurrence of theletters. There are` twenty consonants, hence if a mistake is made in thelast consonant the checking sum will be from l to 19 points in error.The same fact, the number of consonants, results in a change of centralvowels on each 2O points hence a mistake in this element will result inan error of 20, 40, 60, or 8O points. First consonants change on s hencean error in this element will result in an error of 5 to 95 points. Thesame code word in different sections is always made to vary 21 points,hence if the checking sum is 2l points vor a multiple thereof in error,a different table must be tried.

The reason for the skipped figures in the checking columnV will bereadily apparent. B A B at 22 has 22 as a checking ligure. This wouldresult if a section A were utilized beginning with B A B having achecking figure l on the above stated rule that like syllables indifferent sections have checkingv figures varying by 21, E B A B being22 and there being 100 syllables beginning with B. E C A `B at 26 wouldbe also 22, hence if one were erroneously transmitted for the vother thechecking figures would be of no assistance. 'Moreover a like difficultywould occur throughout the table in connection with 'E B A C and E C A Cthrough to E Y U Z and E Z U Z. Therefore a skip in figures is necessarywhen the first consonant changes. Since by the law stated firstconsonantschange on 5s a skip of five figures is made each time. 4

Itmafy be' desirable for some purposes lto use single consonants torepresent numbers from O to 9. In this event the single consonant wouldbe preceded in the telegraph word by the designating letter I.Consequently to avoid `confusion the vowel is omitted from the formedsyllables in the tables.

Various modifications may be made in the physical embodiment of theinvention, it may be printed on one sheet, on several sheets or on thepages of aV book, various other tables with arbitrary arrangements may'be used in conjunction therewith all without departing from the spiritof the invention.

I claim: Y

l. A code table comprising, in combination, a column of syllablesdivided into sections, the syllables in each section being substantiallylike the syllables in other sections, each syllable comprising twoYconsonants separated by a vowel, a designating vowelfor each section andaicolumn `of arbitrary meanings one for each syllable, the meanings forlike syllables in the various sections differing. i

y 2. A code table comprising, in combination, a column `of lsyllablescomprising three letters each, each of the first letters 'being repeatedapredetermined number of times, a column of arbitrary meanings and acolumn of checking figures one for each syllable whereby an error infirst letter may be corrected by observation of the amount and nature ofthe error. l

3. A code table comprising, 'in combination, a column of syllablescomprisingthree letters each, each of the middle letters being repeateda predetermined number of times, a column of. arbitrary meanings and acolumn of' checking figuresone for each syllable whereby an error inmiddle letter may be corrected by observation of the amount and natureof the error.

4. A code table comprising, in combination, a column of syllablescomprising three letters each,l each of the last letters being repeateda predetermined number of times, a column of arbitrary meanings and acolumn oi checking figures one for each syllable whereby an error inlast letter may be corrected by observation of the amount and nature ofthe error. 4 Y

A code table comprising, in lcombination, a section having acolumnof'syllables comprising letters each of 'which recurs a definitenumber of times insucceeding syllables, a co-lumn of arbitrary meaningsand a columnmof checking figures in substantial numerical order toanumber fof three gures and repeat, and a'section having `a column ofsyllables and acolumn of numbers ruiming to 999 each numberstandingopposite `one of said syllables and each'sectionprovided with adesignating letter.

6. A code table comprising a plurality of sections each provided with adesignating letter, each section comprising a column of syllables, thesyllables in all sections being substantially the same, a column ofchecking figures for each of certain of the sections, there being achecking ligure for each syllable in such sections, the checking figurefor any syllable in any section varying by a definite amount from thatof the checking gurei'or the same syllable in the preceding and in thefollowing sections, whereby an error in transmission of the idesignating letter can be detected.

7. A code table comprising a plurality of sections each provided With adesignating letter and each section comprising a column of syllables ofthree letters each, the

syllables in all sections being substantially the same, some of theletters in the syllables recurring a number of times in succession ineach section and changing at predetermined intervals, the intervals ofchange for each letter being diiierent from the others, a column ofchecking figures for each of certain of the sectionsl the checkingtigures for any syllable in any section varying by a denite amount fromthat of the checking ligure of the same syllable in the preceding andthe succeeding section, and a seci tion having a column of numbersrunning t0 999 one number placed opposite each syllable of the syllablecolumn in that section.

In testimony whereof I aii'iX my signature.

CHARLES B. WOUD.

